Shoe structure



H.-MARX SHOE STRUCTURE.

Jan. 30, 1945.

Filed May 28, 1942 INVENTOR. HE/QM/l/V MAK my w Patented Jan. 30, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE STRUCTURE Herman Marx, New York, N. Y.

Application May 28, 1942, Serial No. 444,786

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shoe structures and more particularly to shoes hav- 3 ing separable sole and upper.

It is well known in the art toprovide shoes the uppers of which are removably attached to the soles by means of studs or buttons and hooks, which latter form part of said uppers. It has been further proposed to detachably secure the uppers to the soles by means of slide fasteners.

The present invention pursues for the first time quite a new path for accomplishing selectively permanent or temporary securement of the upper to the sole of the shoe.

It is an object of this invention to provide means to interchangeably connect diiferently shaped uppars or foot retaining means to the outsole of a shoe or other footwear.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a means to facilitate transformation of a sandal or similar foot covering to a fancy shoe and vice versa, without regard to the material of which the upper of the shoe may be made.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe with detachable upper, which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured, is very neat and aesthetic in appearance and is durable and strong enough to withstand considerable wear.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide means to associate the upper of a shoe with an outsole, the shoe thus obtained not necessitating the utilization of a last during the course of manufacturing the same.

Yet, another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe the upper of which is either permanently or temporarily secured directly to the outer sole to which may be selectively joined an inner sole.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide means for uniting the shoe upper to the outsole without the employment of stitchings, nails, rivets or tacks, or adhesive means.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide means for obtaining loose sliding engagement of the upper relatively to the sole whereby 'the upper may be adapted to comfortably accommodate the foot of the wearer within the shoe.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide interengageable means fixed to the sole and upper of the shoe, respectively, for relative sliding engagement lengthwise thereof,

whereby slight displacement of the ends of the upper relatively to the sole is obtained thus msulating the positioning of the upper with respect to individual shapes of the wearer's foot.

Yet, a further object of this invention is to provide a shoe the upper of which is equipped with means which at first slidably engage with the sole and may then be firmly fixed and maintained in position upon exertion of stretches or stresses by the foot of the wearer.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following disclosure thereof together with the attached drawing which illustrates certain forms of embodiments thereof. These forms are shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged'and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a part of a sandal with a sole provided with attachments according to this invention.

Fig. 2. is a perspective view of a fancy shoe equipped with attachments or devices according to this invention.

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary cross-sectional views of the sole of a shoe provided with attaching means according to this invention in operative and inoperative positions, respectively.

Figs. 5, 6 and-'7, 8 illustrate two modifications of attaching means embodying the invention, as applied to an outer sole, a fragment thereof being only shown.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a further modified form of attaching means.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of still another modified form of attaching means.

Fig. 11 illustrates a fragmentary sectional view of a sole with still further modified anchoring or attaching means made in accordance with this invention.

Referring now in greater detail to the attached drawing in which similar reference characters correspond to similar parts in the several views, Fig. 1 shows a part of the sole of a sandal 20 having the outsol 2| made of rubber, rubber composition, wood or any other suitable material. and the insole 22 of leather or the like, which is fittingly positioned within the space formed by the inner boundary 23 of outer upright edge or margin 24 attached to or forming part of outsol'ell along whichsaldedgeextends. Within outsole ii and preferably tdiacent upright edge 2!,there areprovidedaseriesoispacedapart anchoring members 28 (Figs- 1 and 2) made of metal or any other material adapted to grippinglyandflrmlyengagcwithapartoitheupper oi the shoe, as hereinafter set forth. Anchoring members 2| may be incorporated in outsole 2| in any appropriate way, as, for example, during the course of manufacturing and vulcanization of ouwoie 2|, may assume any suitable shape and may be preferably provided with gripping parts, such as dents, points or the like, for a purpose, as will be later explained.

As seen in Fig. 4, upper ii is shown provided with a thickening or welt 21 at its extreme end. Anchoring member 2! is so shaped and inserted within the outsole II that it projects in upward direction so as to form channel or recess ll between base 29 and lateral extensions or walls II, II, the respective ends of which 32, 33 are somewhat inclined and directed toward the interior of said recess or channel 2|.

In order to secure upper 26 within channels it of respective anchoring members, thickened end or welt 21 is first slid from one of the lateral ends of channel a of a respective anchoring member into the channel thereof and then brought into engagement with the points or dents of bent ends 32, 33, respectively, of the respective anchoring member 25, whereby the uppe after being first adjusted by sliding movement in its position relatively to the outsole and the foot of the wearer, is brought in locking engagement with respective anchoring members of the shoe and firmly held in each channel, as clearly seen in Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate positionings of upper and anchoring member similar to those of Figs.

3 and 4, the channel 28a being substaniialLv rectangular, the upper ends 3211 and Ila of the anchoring member 250 being turned over in overlapping position and extending downwardly into the channel 280, as clearly seen in Fig. 6. It will be observed that anchoring member 25a is fixedly positioned within outsole Ila. It will be well apparent'that upon sliding engagement of extremity 21a of upper lie within channel 28a of anchoring member 25s, the upper lid may be fixed in position and prevented from slipping out of the channel 28a in a manner similar to that explained with reference to Figs. 3 and 4.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a further modification of the anchoring member, the upper 26!) carrying at its end metallic clamp ll having the leg parts ll and 42 secured to upper 2612, as at 43. The outsole lib has incorporated a series of anchoring members or rail members 301) provided with projection 32b extending beyond the surface of sole Zib for sliding engagement with clamp II, as shown in dot-dash lines of Fig. 7. Fig. 8 indicates by arrow 44 the direction in which the strap element of upper 2611 by means of clamp ll may be moved to slide onto rail member 32b and to be then finally fixed thereat by tightening clamps 40. r

Fig. 9 shows in detail a clamp anchoring means employable in connection with this invention. The anchoring means 53 in this instance, has two lugs ii, 52 forming respective lateral extensions of the spaced upright legs 53 and 54. The inclined and inwardly turned upper ends 55 and it leaving an opening therebetween are toothed or provided with points 51, 58, respectively, to sr llpinsly and firmly engage the welt of an upassasu peraiterthesamehasbeeninsertedorslidin lengthwise direction of channel II of anchoring means I. and then adjusted relatively to said anchoring means Finally, lugs 51 and I! may be bent or deformed in the direction of arrows II, "a to close channel 6| laterally and to prevent accidental removal of the respective end of the upper from its anchoring means.

Fig. shows a still further modified form of an anchoring member designated by numeral II, the latter being in this instance wholly incorporated within or recessed in the outsole ll. Anchoring member II has a base portion from which extend outwardly flared legs II, II leaving an opening or passageway therebetween. The upper ends IS, IS slope in opposed directions and into the channel Tl formed between said base portion and legs 13, ll.

Fig. 11 shows a section through an outsole ll with attached upper 86, channel it being provided in the body of the outsole 8| and forming part thereof. Channel I. is defined by an upwardly extending wall terminating in a downwardly inclined portion deflnining said channel, said downwardly inclined portion forming the upper boundary of said channel ll. In this example, upper 86 has at its extreme end one or more metal clamp or hook means 81 adapted to slidably engage with channel 88 prior to exertion of pulling stresses by upper 86. Hook means 81 will thereupon penetrate into the rubber or like wall of channel 88 and thus be fixed in position relatively to outsole 8|. It will be noted that clamp 01' hook means 81 is entirely contained within grove or channel 88 and is not discernible from therewithout while the upper 86 immediately extending from book means 81 projects through a passageway provided at the surface of said outsole 8i and communicating with said channel 88, as it is evident from Fig. 11.

Hook or clamp means 81 of upper 86, shown in Fig. 11, which replace reinforced ends 21 or 21a (Figs. e and 6) of uppers 26 and 26a, respectively, may be provided at its end 89 with one or more points or pointed ends similar to those shown in Fig. 9 which point or points may finally penetrate into the wall of channel B8 to bring about securement and removal of the upper with respect to the outsole 8i.

It is well evident from the foregoing that there has been provided according to the invention herein set forth complementary or engageable means at the outsole and upper, respectively, which means are so disposed and shaped that they lockingly engage with one another after they have been brought into slidable and guiding en- 1 gagement with one another, thus facilitating distill placement of the upper relatively to and lengthwise oi the outer edge or margin of the outsole for adjustment thereto prior to said locking engagement. Said complementary means may extend either partly or spacedly along said outsole and said upper (Figs. 1 and 2), or the outsole may be provided with continuously extending rail or guide means of the type shown in the various figures, whereas the means fixed to or forming part of the upper may be arranged thereon only in spaced apart relation and may be first moved and guided lengthwise of said rail means and then permanently and/or removably fixed in the thus, adjusted positionings.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invenflon as applied to the above embodiments, it will be understood that various substituflons and changes in the form and details or the devices illustrated and their operation may be made 'by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.'

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of footwear comprising foot retaining means, a sole, said sole being provided with at least one channel extending a predetermined distance in lengthwise direction of said sole, said channel including an upwardly extending wall, said upwardly extending wall terminating in a portion downwardly projecting from said wall and being spaced from the latter, and connecting means provided at the extremity of said foot retaining means and terminating in pointed ends for engagement with said downwardly projecting portion to thereby securesaid foot retaining means to said sole.

2. An article of footwear comprising foot retaining means, a sole, said sole being provided with at least one channel extending a predetermined distance in lengthwise direction of said sole, said channel including an upwardly extend ing-wall, said upwardly extending wall terminating in a portion downwardly projecting from said wall and being spaced from the latter, and hook means provided at theextremity of said foot retaining means and adaptedto' engage within said channel with said downardly projecting portion to thereby secure said foot retaining means to said sole.

3. An article of footwear comprising an outsole having a top surface, foot retaining means, and hook-shaped means positioned at the extremity of said foot retaining means for connecting said foot retaining means, to said outsole, said outsole being provided with a channel, an upwardly directed wall terminating in a'downwardly inclined portion defining said channel, said downwardly inclined portion forming the upper boundary of said channel, said connecting means engaging the inclined portion of said channel to thereby secure said foot retaining means to said outsole.

HERMAN MARX. 

